Ages 15 to 17, roughly Years 11 to 13 in England and Wales
Chores for 15 to 17 year olds
At 15 to 17, we think a young person can do almost every job in a home on their own: cook dinner for everyone, do their own laundry and ironing, clean the bathroom, mow the lawn, revise for tests and plan their own spending. Our aim now is for them to leave home able to run one. Most young people in England take GCSEs in Year 11 (source: GOV.UK), and in our experience many go on to A levels, so we suggest light weeknights and the bigger jobs at the weekend.
There is no job in Famoo's library a 15 year old is too young for. So this page is about the jobs that matter before they leave home: feeding themselves, clean clothes, a clean bathroom and knowing where their money goes. Everything on the 12 to 14 page still counts.
What jobs can a child aged 15 to 17 do?
Jobs that start between 11 and 17 in Famoo's library, grouped by where they happen. Time is about how long it takes. Effort is how Famoo sizes it for points: small, medium or big.
No health or safety body sets exact ages for chores. The starting ages below are our suggestions, from Famoo’s own job library, checked against the American Academy of Pediatrics’ age-by-age chore lists (source: AAP). Some of ours start earlier than the AAP’s and some later. Every child is different: you know yours.
- Looking after themselves
- Bedroom and their own things
- Kitchen and meals
- Cleaning and laundry
- Outdoors and bins
- School, reading and clubs
Looking after themselves
Looking after themselves is their business now. Famoo leaves self-care routines for the young person to add if they want.
Bedroom and their own things
| Job | From age | Time | Effort | How |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plan your spending | 11 | 10 min | big | What you have, what you are saving for, and what is left to spend. |
Kitchen and meals
| Job | From age | Time | Effort | How |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cook a simple meal | 12 | 45 min | big | Pasta, eggs or a stir fry. An adult nearby when the hob is on. |
| Cook dinner for everyone | 14 | 60 min | big | Pick the recipe, check what is in, and cook. Someone else washes up. |
Cleaning and laundry
| Job | From age | Time | Effort | How |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clean the bathroom | 11 | 30 min | big | Toilet, bath and floor. Gloves on, and ask an adult for the spray. |
| Do your own laundry | 13 | 45 min | big | Wash, dry, fold and put away. Check the labels first. |
| Do the ironing | 14 | 30 min | big | Shirts first, while the iron is hot. Iron off when you finish. |
Outdoors and bins
| Job | From age | Time | Effort | How |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mow the lawn | 14 | 45 min | big | With an adult. Shoes on, and check the grass for toys first. |
School, reading and clubs
| Job | From age | Time | Effort | How |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revise for a test | 11 | 30 min | big | Short bursts with breaks. Test yourself rather than just rereading. |
Famoo gives no points for these by default. We think learning is its own reward, and paying per session pushes speed over care.
What does a good routine look like at 15 to 17?
Famoo's pack for 15 to 17 has no morning or bedtime routine. At this age, mornings and bedtimes are theirs to run. It suggests one after-school routine and a few weekly jobs.
After school
4pm to 7pm, school days. About 55 minutes of steps.
- Do your homework 30 min
- Do the washing up 15 min
- Make your packed lunch 10 min
Once a week
- Load the washing machine: Saturday
- Hang the laundry out: Saturday
- Fold the laundry: Sunday
- Change your bed sheets: Sunday
- Cook a simple meal: Wednesday
Printable chores chart for 15 to 17 year olds
Prints on one A4 page. Use your browser's Print, or the button. Tick a box when a step is done; grey boxes are days off.
| Job | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| After school (4pm to 7pm) | |||||||
| Do your homework | |||||||
| Do the washing up | |||||||
| Make your packed lunch | |||||||
| Once a week | |||||||
| Load the washing machine | |||||||
| Hang the laundry out | |||||||
| Fold the laundry | |||||||
| Change your bed sheets | |||||||
| Cook a simple meal | |||||||
From famoo.app/chores-by-age
Get the Famoo app Family life, sorted together. The family calendar, jobs and lists, shared by everyone at home.
app.famoo.app
Is it safe? Notes for 15 to 17
Never mix bleach with other cleaners: it can give off a toxic gas (source: nidirect). Mowers and irons still deserve a check: sturdy closed-toe shoes, stones, twigs and toys cleared first, and a ride-on mower only from 16 (source: AAP). Iron off, and cooling out of reach of younger children (the NHS says this for babies and toddlers; we keep it for all younger brothers and sisters) (source: NHS).
How do I get a 15 to 17 year old to help?
- We put exam years first. Famoo keeps school nights to homework, the washing up and a packed lunch, and puts the laundry at the weekend.
- Teach the whole job. Laundry is wash, dry, fold and put away, not just pressing start.
- Cooking for everyone helps twice: a meal for the home, and a night off for you. Someone else washes up.
- Talk money. Plan your spending is a weekly 10 minutes: what they have, what they are saving for, and what is left to spend. MoneyHelper says a monthly allowance helps older children learn to budget for longer (source: MoneyHelper).
- Offer, do not set. At this age Famoo offers jobs to choose from; the young person decides.
Questions parents ask
What chores should a 16 year old do?
We suggest enough to run a home on their own soon: cooking a family dinner, their own laundry and ironing, cleaning the bathroom and planning their spending. Agree a weekly share with them.
Should teenagers do chores during GCSEs or A levels?
We think yes, but lighter. The American Academy of Pediatrics says busy schedules do not stop teens doing basic chores (source: AAP). Famoo's pack for 15 to 17 keeps school days to homework, the washing up and making a packed lunch, with one simple meal to cook midweek and the laundry at the weekend.
What life skills should a teenager have before leaving home?
From Famoo's job library: cook a meal from a recipe, do a full wash from labels to drawer, iron a shirt, clean a bathroom and fridge, change a bed, put the bins out on the right night and plan a budget.
Turn this list into a points chart your kids can tick in Famoo
Every job on this page is ready-made in Famoo, with the same times and steps, and a suggested routine for 15 to 17. Pick the jobs, choose who does them, and your child ticks them off on their own view of the app. You decide what points are worth.
Famoo is in beta, so things may change. Sign up with Google in a minute.
Where this comes from
We opened and read each source below to check it says what we say it does. No health, safety or money body sets exact ages for chores, so the starting ages are our own suggestions. Where a line on this page has no source, it is our view as parents, and we say so.
- American Academy of Pediatrics, HealthyChildren.org: Household Chores for Teens, last updated 9 February 2024. Checked 30 October 2026.
- American Academy of Pediatrics, HealthyChildren.org: Lawn Mower Safety: Information for Families, last updated 3 April 2025. Checked 30 October 2026.
- NHS: Baby and toddler safety, reviewed 19 February 2026. Checked 30 October 2026.
- nidirect, Northern Ireland government: Chemical safety in the home. Checked 30 October 2026.
- MoneyHelper, Money and Pensions Service: Pocket money and saving. Checked 30 October 2026.
- GOV.UK, Department for Education: The national curriculum (school years and key stages). Checked 30 October 2026.
Some words and pictures on this page were drafted with AI. Not yet checked by a person. The starting ages, times and steps come from Famoo’s own job library. The ages are where we suggest starting, not rules: you know your child.
